St. Clair Lecture to Feature Dr. Frank Cassell

Frank A. Cassell, PhD, president emeritus of the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg, will present “Remembering the Battle of Bushy Run: Decisive Victory or Minor Skirmish” as this year’s St. Clair Lecture. Dr. Cassell will speak at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, October 10, in Ferguson Theater at Pitt-Greensburg.

This event, which is open to the public without charge, is sponsored by Westmoreland Heritage, the Westmoreland County Historical Society, and the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg. To ensure a seat, please call 724-836-9911 no later than October 9. Dr. Cassell will also participate in seminars for local high school and college students during his visit to the campus.

Dr. Cassell is a colonial historian who has written numerous articles and lectured widely on the French and Indian Period with a special focus on events that transpired in Western Pennsylvania. It should be noted that the 250th Commemoration of this pivotal battle in the conflict known as Pontiac’s War will occur in 2013. As a scholar, Dr. Cassell is published widely in the areas of early American history and the evolution of the American political party system. The history of the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair is also one of his interests.

The founder of Westmoreland Heritage and the Smart Growth Partnership, Dr. Cassell also chaired the Westmoreland County Historical Society Board of Directors. He also served on several boards, including the Westmoreland Chamber of Commerce, the Greensburg YMCA, and the Greensburg Community Development Corporation.

Dr. Cassell earned his bachelor’s degree from Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Indiana, and his master’s and doctoral degrees from Northwestern University. Prior to his arrival in Greensburg, Dr. Cassell served as vice provost and dean of the Albert A. Robin Campus of Roosevelt University in Schaumburg, Illinois. From 1967 to 1991, Dr. Cassell served on the faculty of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee where he also held numerous leadership positions. An award-winning teacher who held the rank of professor of history, he taught courses at the undergraduate and doctoral levels.

Westmoreland Heritage is a county-wide partnership of organizations and individuals committed to two goals; expanding historical tourism in our area and supporting efforts to educate county residents about their remarkable history. Based at the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg, it is a private advocacy group that sees economic potential in the development and marketing of the county’s historical assets. It also sees a need to make its citizens more aware of these features and their importance. Westmoreland Heritage works with and not in competition to historical societies, government agencies, historical sites, innkeepers and other groups.